Feeder and band-cutter.



N0. 803,268. PATENTBD 00T. 31, 1905. H. D. BROWN L J. W. KEBNBY.

FEEDER AND BAND GUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lmntors witnesses No. 803,268. PATENTEDOCT. -3l, 1905. H. D. BROWN & J. W. KEENEY.

FEEDER AND BAND CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1904.

2 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

HWF Il y Inventor's ctomegs 'UNITED srAfrnsI HARRY D. BROWN AND JAMES WV. KEENEY, OF MULLINVILLE, KANSAS.'

PATENT OFFICE.

FEEDER AND BAND-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed September 16, 1904:. `Serial No. 224,766.

of Kiowa and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Feeder and Band-Cutter, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to band-cutters and feeders for threshing-machines, and has for its obj ect to simplify and to improve the construction of this class of devices and to render the operation of the same more perfect.

With these and other ends in view the ininvention consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

-ln the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the efiiciency of the same.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view illustrating the invention applied to a threshing-machine in operative position. Fig. 2 is aside elevation showing one end of the threshing-machine and as much of the invention as is necessary to make the operation thereof understood. Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken from the opposite side of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a'transverse sectional detail view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view, enlarged, of the retarder.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are designated by like characters of reference.

One of the principal instrumentalities of the invention consists of a feeding-'conveyer which in practice is to be made of considerable length-say twentyfour feet-and which is'supported in an approximately horizontal position a very short distance above the ground to enable the sheaves to be readily supplied thereto. In the form of embodiment of the invention illustrated ,in the drawings two axles 1 2 have been shown, mounted upon transporting wheels 3 4, which are quite small, so that the axles shall be elevated but slightly above the ground. The front axle 2 supports a bolster 5, with which is connected a tongue or draft member 6. The rear axle 1 and the bolster 5 upon the front axle coperate to support an elongated frame or casing which consists, essentially, of the sideA members 7 7, which are connected and spaced above by means of braces 8 8, supporting a flooring 9. Near the front and rear ends of this casing are journaled a pair of shafts 9 10, carrying rollers 11 12, which support a pair of traveling belts 13, disposed adjacent to the sides of the casing, said belts being connected and spaced apart by transverse slats 14, which coperate with said belts to form a conveyer or endless carrier. One of the shaftsin the present instance the front shaft 9-is preferably longitudinally movable in slots 16 in the sides of the casing, thus enabling the belts of the conveyer to be tightened to any desired extent to insure the successful operation thereof.

Near the rear end of the conveyer member or casing are supported a pair of uprights 17, connected at their'upper ends by a cap-piece 18. The uprights 17 support a pair of vertically-adjustable boxes 19, capable of being retained in adjusted position by set-screws 2O or other suitable means and forming bearings for a transverse shaft 21, having cranks 22 formed thereon. Pivotally connected with said cranks are forks 23, having handles 24, which extend upwardly through guide-slots 25 in the cap-piece 18, so that when the crankshaft 21 is rotated the forks will be carried around with the cranks, thus serving to engage with a positive feeding movement the material that is passing over the discharge end of the conveyer, including the belts 13 and slats 14, and which for convenience as a whole will be designated C.

26 designates the front end of the threshing-machine, in connection with which the device of the invention has been shown.

27 is a cylinder, and 28 the concave, above which is the feed opening or throat 29, with which is connected a casing 30, inclining downwardly tothe delivery end of the conveyer C, with the casing of which it may be connected in any suitable and convenient manner, the lower part of the casing 30 being supported by means of short inclined legs 31. The lower part of the casing 30 lis -provided near its front and rear ends with IOO bearings for shafts 32 and 33, carrying rollers 34 and 35, said rollers supporting an endless -conveyer or draper D, consisting, preferably,

of stout canvas having transverse slats 3.6 affixed thereto. The conveyer D is so disposed that its receiving end shall extend forward under the discharge end of the conveyer C, as will be readily understood The upper part of the casing 30 is provided near its front and rear-ends with bearings for a pair of shafts 37 38, carrying rollers 39 40, which cooperate to support an endless conveyer E, having transverse slats 41, e uipped withA teeth or prongs 42. The rfiller 40 at the rear of the casing is considerably larger than the roller 39 at the front end and is also larger than the rollers 34 35, upon which the draper D is supported. lt follows that the shafts 33 and 38 being operated at equal speed, the conveyer E will travel more rapidly than the conveyer D. lt will be furthermore observed that the roller carrying shaft 37 is disposed at a greater distance from the plane in which the shafts 32-33 are located than the shaft 38. Owing to this fact, vtaken in connection with the fact that the roller 39 is of less diameter than the roller 40, it will be seen that the receiving ends of the conveyers D and E are spaced apart farther than. their delivery ends, thus causing material passing therebetween to be gradually compressed and to be opere ated upon with a great degree of efficiency.

Journaled in the sides of the casing of the threshing-machine is a shaft 41, which is preferably tubular and of considerable strength. Extending transversely through said shaft are a plurality of bars forming teeth 42, the projecting ends of which are bent in opposite directions in the shape of an elongated letter S. This constitutes a retarding device. rlhe position of this device, it will be seen, is above and in frontk of the cylinder and behind and slightly below the delivery end of the conveyer D, so that material passing from said conveyer when it sags will bear upon said retarder.

The sides of the threshing-machine casing are provided directly above the cylinder 27 with bearings for a shaft 43, the exact preferred location of which isfrom two to three inches in rear of the vertical plane of the axis of the threshing-cylinder. rlhe shaft 43 c-arries a plurality of band-cutting knives 44..

In practice the threshing-cylinder receives motion from the source of power by means of a driving-belt a portion of'which has been indicated at 45 i-n Fig. 3. From the opposite end of the cylinder motion is transmitted to the shaft 43 of the band-cutter by means of a` belt 46, passing over pulleys 47 48 upon the cylinder-shaft and the band-cutter shaft, respectively. The opposite end of the bandcutter shaft 43 carries a pulley 49, connected by-a belt 59 with a pulley 51 upon the shaft y 41 of the retarder, which is thus driven. The shaft 41 carries a pinion 52, meshing with a spur-wheel 53 upon the rear shaft 33 of conveyer D, said spur-wheel meshing with a spur-wheel 54 upon the shaft 38 of the con- Aveyer E, which latter will thus be driven at a speed which is regulated by the relative proportion of the diameters of the rollers 40 and 35. The shaft 32, which supports the lower end of the conveyer D, is provided with a sprocket-wheel 55, connected by a chain 56 with the sprocket-wheel 57 uponthe shaft 10 at the rear end of the conveyer C. Motion is transmitted to the crank-shaft 21 by means of a chain 58., connecting a sprocket-wheel 59 upon said crank-shaft with a sprocket-wheel 60 upon the shaft 37, which supports the lower end of conveyer E. The various operative parts of the device will thus be driven in unison.

It will be readily understood that the operation of supplying grain to the feeder will be rendered extremely easy and .convenient, owing to thegreat length of the receiving-conveyer C, as well as to the fact that said conveyer is but slightly raised above the ground. This is 'considered a very important advantage, especially in windy weather, when the grain may be readily thrown intov the casing of the conveyer C by boys unable to successfully use a pitchfork. The conveyer C carries the grain onward until it reaches the inclined conveyer D, when by the action of the forks 23 it will be placed in the receiving space between said upwardly-inclined conveyer and the superimposed conveyer E. Between the conveyers and E, owing to the greater speed of the latter, the grain will be spread out and at the same time positively gripped until delivered into the throat of the machine, where the retarder prevents it 'from coming immediately into engagement with the cylinder. 'lhe grain will pass onward until the bandcutti-ng knives are encountered, which after severing the bands Will distribute the grain upon the upper side of the cylinder, whereby it is carried forward and downward between the cylinder-and concave -to be operated upon in the usual manner.

When the machine is not in use, the casing containing the conveyer C may be readily uncoupled, and said conveyer-casing may then be handled independently. While the threshing-rnachine in connection with which thel device is used is transported from one place to. another the casing 30, which preferably is hing-edlly connected with the machine, maybe raised or elevated by means of a windlass 61, supported upon the deck of the machine and suitably connected with said casing 3Q by means of' a hoisting-rope 62,.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isV I 1. In a device of the class described, a posi- IOO tive feeder including a lower dra er consisting of a slatted apron) an upper raper having toothed slats, and means for operating said upper draper at a greater speed than the lower draper; said drapers being upwardly inclined and their Vreceiving ends being spaced farther apart than their delivery ends g in combination With an approximately horizontal endless conveyer supported below the lower end of the upper draper and above the lower end of the lower draper, and mechanically-operatedforks supported above the delivery end of the horizontal conveyer and cooperating with the latter to deliver material to the receiving end of the feeder.

2. In a device of the class described, an upwardly-inclined feeder comprising two coperating endless conveyers or drapers, an ap- HARRY D. BROWN. JAMES W. KEENEY.

Witnesses:

S. R. BRYAN, E. T. BIDwELL. 

